Let’s start off with the fact that OSU’s defense yesterday limited one of the nation’s premiere running attacks to a net 59 yards. Then let’s consider that MSU’s the passing game could manage only another 126 yards. All I can say is that it must suck to practice against these guys between the Saturdays.
Yes, MSU scored 17 points, but only three of them came as a result of the MSU offense. With two turnovers run back for points (an interception and a fumble on back-to-back drives) and a third fumble that was a lucky bounce from being scooped up and run back for yet another score, Jim Tressel must have been somewhat relieved to get his defense back on the field. In fact, if you go back and analyze all of the points scored against OSU, a great many of them occurred when the defense was off the field (I’m counting field goals against the defense in that statement).
James Laurinaitis led the team with 12 tackles (including a sack), two solo. The Buckeye defense had four total sacks, which is a feat against a fairly mobile QB like Hoyer. They took the run away from MSU and MSU did not like that one bit. The passing game is never going to be there for MSU without a solid running game to set it up. MSU does have a solid running game, but not against OSU.
It is also important to note that the defense is doing this without two of their best players. DLs Lawrence Wilson is still out with a broken leg (has been since midway through the YSU game) and Todd Denlinger sat this one out with a deep thigh bruise.
But guys like DLs Nader Abdallah, Alex Barrow, Robert Rose, and Cam Heyward have filled in so well that there hasn’t even been a drop off. I had concerns about the quality of the Defensive Line this year, after losing David Patterson and Quinn Pitcock. But those fears were completely unfounded. This defense is better than it was last year. A lot better, and for all of the gaudy numbers on offense (Todd Boeckman is ahead of Troy Smith’s numbers if you compare last year with this one up until now) it has emerged as the real strength of this team. So hats off to the defense. Just like hats were off to the defense in 2002.
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Two turnovers at home and Penn State only scores 17 points? And then they say “We’re back!”?
It will take more than a video of a game from 2005 to beat OSU this year. Though, after we beat Penn State, you can still watch your video and imagine what might have been, if it makes you feel better.